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[RC] Dr. Miller - Smith, Dave

I have had the good fortune to have met and talked with Dr. Miller on several occasions and I have found him to a most thoughtful scientist who cares deeply about the horses and other critters he has treated over his many years of veterinary practice. I’ve read and learned from his books on horse behavior and imprinting foals.  The article reprinted on this website is, in my view, very timely and very accurate. He is saying things that need to be said. And he has the stature to be heard.  That he apparently believes that some endurance riders are more interested in winning than in the welfare of their horses is unfortunate.  But rather than condemn him, or this point of view, maybe we should concentrate more on educating him on the modern mindset of those who participate in our sport.  I believe him to be fair-minded and perhaps we, as an organization, should invite him to one of our rides, such as the Tevis or the Old Dominion and encourage him observe for himself the care we give to our four-footed partners. And at the same time, perhaps we ought to reexamine our own motivations and behavior just to assure ourselves that he isn’t seeing something that we have been too blind to see.